Greenville's Final Resting Places

Greenville Union Cemetery is actually the second formal resting place within the present corporation limits.

The first was situated at the corner of today's Memorial Drive and east Water Street. This pioneer burial ground was used from the earliest days until the current cemetery was opened in the mid-1800's.

At that time the removal of remains to Greenville Union began. However a number of the original burials remained. Over time headstones and other markers were vandalized. Some were hurled down the banks of the adjacent Greenville Creek.

Today facing Water Street is a memorial which pays due tribute to Greenville's earliest settlers. A number of the original headstones are embedded in this fitting tribute.

Greenville Union, with its magnificent main entrance archway at the foot of North Main Street was expanded to the west with the initial interment being Gladstone Shreve who died in July of 1951.

Evidence shows the oldest burials in Greenville Union's original sections go back around 170 years to the 1830's. A number of these however are unmarked and thus unmapped due to the unfortunate loss of discernible tablets. Many of these were made of wood or were engraved into stone (rather than raised) and thus fell victim to weathering, acid rain and other toll-takers of time.

Find loved ones with Burials on the Web

Greenville Union Cemetery now offers an easy way to find burials in the cemetery. It is called Burials on the Web. Simply supply a name or part of a name to search our database. Burials on the Web includes the person's full name, location in the cemetery, date of birth, and service date. You can search for burials here.